One Little Slip
by Morning Lilies
Summary: It was bound to happen. With nine full moons a school year, something was bound to happen. Turning into animals made them safer, but not invincible. The Marauders attempt to hide the damage keeping a werewolf company leaves from said werewolf.


**A/N: Hello to anybody wonderful enough to read my story. Nothing belongs to me, by the way, just to clarify. I'm not JK Rowling, not even close. So this story is kind of for the prompt "A picture says a thousand words". It's more than a thousand words, but it's based on a picture. I don't have the direct link, but if you want to find it (and I suggest you do because it'll give the story more of a point, but it's you call :D) go to youtube, type in "marauders back to the start" EXACTLY like that and then click on the first video that comes up. The picture is at about 2:49. I don't own that either, but I'm jealous of whoever does because they have mad drawing skills *sighs* oh well :) I really love the Marauders, so I hope you like this little one-shot!**

The full moon hung low in the lightening sky. Soft silver light found its way through the boarded windows of the Shrieking Shack and lay like dust over the destroyed room. Every bit of furniture was broken and great gouge marks had been left in the pieces. The walls bore similar scars. It looked as if a pack of wolves had ransacked the place.

The moon drifted lazily towards the lightening horizon, lower and lower. Just before it disappeared the door was thrown open so forcefully it nearly sprang off its hinges and a large gray blur tore into the room, sharp teeth bared in a mad grin, eyes savage, and wild and a deep growl rumbling in its chest. It skidded around to face the two other blurs hot on its heels. A great black dog and a magnificent stag flashed across the threshold and the wolf launched itself at them with a snarl. They collided in a mass of fur and teeth and antlers and darting bodies just as the moon began to disappear.

There were yelps and howls from the fray until the silvery orb slipped completely behind the horizon. The wolf rolled away, his shape already beginning to shift, snout shrinking, fur receding into pale skin, eyes changing from yellow to brown, becoming rounder.

At once the dog and the stag scrambled to their feet and in an instant they had changed into teenage boys.

"Moony," Sirius muttered, stumbling over to the wolf that was rapidly becoming Remus again. He yelped at Sirius's touch and jerked around, trying to make a wild lunge for the door. "Moony! Calm down, mate, it's us! Prongs – get over here and help me! Prongs?"

Struggling to restrain the werewolf, Sirius looked around at his other friend. James was staggering to his feet, pale and clenching his teeth in pain. There was a long gash on his cheek and dark red blood running down his face. Sirius grimaced at the sight.

"He got you good, didn't he? Oi! Wormy! Get over here and help! Prongs's bleeding!"

A rat scuttled out of the shadows on the landing outside the door. Halfway across the room he turned into a small, watery-eyed boy with mousy hair. Peter hesitated, watching Remus writhe and flail in Sirius's grip. He should have been used to it, but it always made his stomach twist to see the vicious, beastie expression that twisted Remus's usually-calm, kind face.

"Wormtail!" Sirius said furiously as Remus nearly wrenched himself free, eyes wild and nostrils flared.

With a nervous squeak, Peter scurried over and grabbed one of Remus's arms, clinging on to it with all his might as Remus fought his restraints. Sirius managed to get an arm around his neck and the pair of them dragged him as far back as they could, waiting for him to stop fighting them.

James turned his gashed cheek away from Remus on the pretense of watching the tunnel entrance, pulled out his wand and whipping at the blood. He didn't want Remus to see it because he knew how he would react. James didn't really think it would be possible to hide it from his friend completely, but he could try.

Slowly, Remus stopped staining for escape until he hung limply between Sirius and Peter, eyes closed and chest heaving.

"Nice to have you back, Moony," Sirius quipped half-heatedly.

Remus moaned as Peter and Sirius lowered him onto the floor where he collapsed against the wall and wished he would never have to move again. Somewhere in the back of his mind he registered dimly that Peter was where James usually was, but he didn't think about it much. He was too sore.

"Pomfrey'll be here soon," James said quietly. "We'd better get going. Take it easy, Moony, we'll see you soon."

Remus nodded without even opening his eyes and in a moment he was alone again.

"Moony! Old boy! How you feeling?" Sirius said, flopping down on the end of Remus's bed in the hospital wing and helping himself to one of his friend's chocolate frogs.

"Hope you're planning on getting me some more for Christmas or you won't have any left to steal," said Remus, pointing at the half-eaten frog.

Sirius said something but it was hard to make out through his mouth of chocolate.

"Hey Wormy," Remus added to Peter, who was edging between the beds more slowly than normal and regarding him with an almost wary eye. Remus looked down, biting his lip, and Sirius took the opportunity to glare at Peter as if to say "get it together or you're gonna blow it".

"Where's James?" Remus asked, more to change the subject, but Sirius and Peter both tensed.

"Oh…he called an emergency Quidditch meeting," Sirius said quickly. "You know how insane he gets this time of year. He's really sorry he didn't stop by, but he sends his love."

Remus raised an eyebrow. There was something up. "Okay, Sirius, now what's he really up to?"

"Nothing! Honest Remus. You know I'm hurt that you have so little trust in me," Sirius tried to pout but the affect was somewhat ruined by the shifty look in his eyes.

Thinking it was most likely their latest mayhem-causing plot, Remus decided to let it go for now.

"Hey, Prongs, long time no see," Remus said lightly as he walked into their dormitory that evening. He hadn't seen James all day, which was unusual for the day after a full moon. James and Sirius devoted as much time as possible to "keeping him from dying of boredom" in the Hospital wing, which basically meant finding new and inventive ways of annoy him to death (though, as James said, at least he was never boared!).

James, who'd been rummaging for something in his trunk, started at Remus's voice, but stayed bent double, keeping his face hidden.

"Hey Moony," he said into his trunk. "Thought Pomfrey wasn't offering bail 'til after dinner."

"She let me go on good behavior," Remus grinned.

"Excellent! Listen, Mary's gonna kill me if I don't find that Transfiguration essay she was letting me look at so save me a seat in the Great Hall, kay?"

"Okay, but I can't guarantee I can save you any food. You know Peter's – " But Remus stopped suddenly, eyes fixed on the mirror that hung on the opposite wall.

"Moony?" James threw a concerned look over his shoulder. "You alright?"

"James, what's that?" Remus was pointing at James's reflection in the mirror, at the raw red slash across his cheek.

James looked at Remus then where he was pointing, then swore.

"That's why you've been avoiding me all day, isn't it?" Remus asked, his voice going slightly higher.

"No – "

"Don't lie James! I did that, didn't I?" Remus was shaking now. This was why they shouldn't be doing what they were doing. He went along with it against his better judgment because, he told himself, his friends were too stubborn to fight with, but really it was because he was too much of a coward to go back to being alone. But there was proof right in front of him that he was a dangerous monster. He deserved to be alone. "You shouldn't sneak out with me, it's too dangerous!"

And with that he turned and made to flee down the spiral staircase. But before he'd gotten three steps, he felt a hand grab his arm and James spun him around so violently he nearly toppled down the stairs.

"Knock it off, Moony," James said not exactly angrily but with the brusqueness all the Marauders adopted in situations like this.

"I will when you do," Remus shot back in the same tone. "This isn't just some stupid thrill-seeking stunt James! This is real! It only takes one slip – one little fluke – and nest thing you know someone's in the hospital wing or – or worse." he seemed to choke on the thought and James seized the opportunity.

"That's why we're around you moron!" he snapped. "We aren't doing this for the thrills and we're not going to let you slip up – "

"Look at you face!" Remus practically howled. "Look at it James! I did that! _I _did that, and no matter what you guys say I'm a monster. Maybe you don't care if you get mauled, but I do. I can't take it, okay? Don't come anymore!"

He tried to turn and run again, but James ducked around him and stood solidly in his path.

"_You _didn't do anything, you prat! What happens during the full moon isn't you, got it? _You _don't have claws or fangs or anything except maybe a hex that could do this to me. So stop with the guilt-party. We're coming whether you like it or not and nothing you say can stop us, understand?"

James glared at him until Remus swallowed hard and nodded at the carpet.

"Good," James said, still a little gruff. "Now come on, help me find Mary's essay 'cause she really will kill me if I lost it."

**A/N: Yes, I'm one of those people who writes A/Ns at the beginning AND end of a story, sorry ;D Okay so I'm a review-poor author and am reduced to begging pitifully for feedback. You could very easily make my day by leaving a few words and telling me if this is any good or not. Please? **


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